A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Argentina prove too hot for Ireland
HOCKEY:Argentina's pace was too much for Ireland's rejigged defensive line-up as they showed some of the class that saw them claim last year's World Cup with a comfortable 4-1 win at Belfield.
With Sinead McCarthy injured, Gene Muller was forced to switch Michelle Harvey into the centre-backs, allowing the visitors, Carla Rebecchi to the fore, cut clean breaks through the defence.
She scored the second after winning a penalty corner from which Maria Barrionuevo broke the deadlock early on.
Lisa Jacob smashed one effort into Maria Aladro’s pads but Ireland got one back from Julia O’Halloran from close range early in the second half. But Rebecchi twice unlocked the defence to lay up simple finishes for Agustina Garcia and Luciana Aymar, the current world player of the year, to round off the deserved victory.
England retain Raymond Trophy
GOLF: Ireland were in a state of shock last night after a dramatic collapse cost them the Home International title at a rainy and windy Rosses Point at the end of an enthralling final day in the round-robin contest.
Defending champions England retained their crown on a desperately close countback of points. England ended up with 27 points ahead of Ireland with 25.5 and Scotland on the 22-point mark, all three countries having won two matches. Wales, without a win, finished with the wooden spoon.
Ireland needed to share the spoils with Scotland to collect the Raymond Trophy for the first time since 2008 but a disastrous foursomes session which ended with them losing four matches and halving just one left them an uphill task. They battled bravely and in the end only lost only 8.5-6.5 after winning the singles 6-4 but England prevailed by beating Wales 9.5-5.5 to retain the trophy.
Galbraith into quarter finals
GOLF: John-Ross Galbraith kept the Irish flag flying in the British Boys Open Amateur Championship at Burnham and Berrow on the Somerset coast yesterday when he defied the odds to move into the quarter-finals.
“I am absolutely over the moon. To be in the last eight when 252 started out is just great. I played really well today and now I intend to keep the momentum going,”said the 17-year-old Ulster Boys Champion from Whitehead in Carrickfergus.
Galbraith knocked out England international Max Orrin with a birdie on the 19th in the third round and then eliminated Richard Broadhurst 21 in round four.
West Waterford’s Gary Hurley bowed out to o Belgium’s Thomas Detry while Keagan Cummings from Elm Park went down 21 to German Steffen Harm.
Galbraith now faces Patrick Kelly of Boston West this morning for a place in the semi-finals.
Egan bounces back to make heavyweight final
BOXING: Ken Egan survived a third-round knock down on his heavyweight debut to record his third victory on the trot over Tommy McCarthy and book his place into today's Open Unseeded Elite Competition heavyweight final.
The Neilstown southpaw, who announced this week that he was moving up from light-heavyweight to heavyweight, beat the Belfast man 10-6 over three rounds at Dublin’s National Stadium.
Egan led 5-2 following a cagey opening frame frame 5-2 and 9-3 by the end of the second. McCarthy almost pulled it out of the fire when he dropped the three-times EU champ with a cluster of body shots and a right uppercut to the head just over a minute into the final round. Egan, who had a standing count after being felled, survived that scare and secured the 10-6 win over the Ulster puncher.
Meanwhile, Roy Sheehan, Michael O’Reilly, Stephen O’Reilly, Jason Quigley, Pa O’Shea, Con Sheehan and Seán Turner also claimed wins in last night’s semi-final session.
